FW190

[kgwilson]

Packard produced a LOT of Merlins. Rolls Royce chose Packard to licence build Merlins in 1940 after a deal went sour with Henry Ford who only wanted to produce them for American use. Packard produced most of the Merlins for the P51 Mustang which made this aircraft what it became. The Mustang was the result of an RAF specification but its performance at altitude with the original Allison engine was poor. When RR developed the 2 stage supercharger in 1941 the Merlin 60 series became known as the high altitude Merlin. Nearly all of the Merlins produced by Packard were of this type. Packard Merlins were installed in Lancasters, Mk XVI Spitfires, Curtis P 40, p60, Hurricanes & Mosquitos as well as Mustangs & twin Mustangs.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Packard produced a LOT of Merlins. Rolls Royce chose Packard to licence build Merlins in 1940 after a deal went sour with Henry Ford who only wanted to produce them for American use. Packard produced most of the Merlins for the P51 Mustang which made this aircraft what it became. The Mustang was the result of an RAF specification but its performance at altitude with the original Allison engine was poor. When RR developed the 2 stage supercharger in 1941 the Merlin 60 series became known as the high altitude Merlin. Nearly all of the Merlins produced by Packard were of this type. Packard Merlins were installed in Lancasters, Mk XVI Spitfires, Curtis P 40, p60, Hurricanes & Mosquitos as well as Mustangs & twin Mustangs.

At an airshow I noticed that the Packard Merlins sounded quite different from the RR Merlins. I was told that it was because they had different firing orders. Anyone know if that is true or was the different sound for another reason?

 

 

[rgmwa]

I read somewhere that Packard made quite a few design changes to the Merlin, mainly to facilitate mass production.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[Downunder]

I read somewhere that Packard made quite a few design changes to the Merlin, mainly to facilitate mass production.rgmwa

I think the RR manufactured Merlin's were virtually hand made and fitted together as individual engines. Bespoke if you like , making for very limited interchangeability, difficult servicing and parts replacement.

 

All British aircraft engines were probably (traditionally) made this way.

 

USA, being at the forefront of mass production and with the number of engines required, it made sense to make them there.

 

Packard standardized the threads, pipe sizes, fits and tolerances of parts. No easy feat in itself.

 

 

[Kiwi303]

There is a great book about the spitfire vs me 109 called "the decisive dual". It also describes the FW 190, and if I recall correctly, described it as being superior to both the Spitfire and 109, but that is suffered from some engine issues and wasn't effective at high altitudes.

There's the old story about the captured intact and flyable FW-190 being put through it's paces, flown off against other British planes, Supermarine was asked to send along a Spitfire to test against, the Spitfire at the time was expected to come in last since the current model of the time was getting a bit old (months is ancient in that war) but they cheated and sent the latest prototype of the next Mark they had developed. Which instead of coming last, trounced the rest, including the FW-190, and resulted in continuing orders for the Spitfire in the new configuration.

 

I THINK that may have been the Mk IX.

 

 

[Vev]

I can confirm the FW190 will be at the Tyabb Airshow Sunday 13th March.

 

There will be lots of surprises flying on the day.

 

Hope you can all make it.

 

 

Cheers

 

Vev

 

 

[Vev]

http://www.tyabbairshow.com/

 

Here's some more info on the airshow.

 

It will be hard to see the quality and depth of these classic warbirds in Australia or indeed the world.

 

Fly or drive details in the link.

 

Cheers

 

Vev

 

 

[cooperplace]

at Duxford, near Cambridge in the UK, there's a BMW 801 radial engine out of a FW190. IMHO it is worth the trip to England just to see that engine. I think it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I read somewhere that 80% of the development time and money that went into Wright Duplex Cyclones (as in the B29) was in the cooling system. The 801 also looks as tho' an immense amount of money was spent on the developing the cooling fins. They're gorgeous.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

at Duxford, near Cambridge in the UK, there's a BMW 801 radial engine out of a FW190. IMHO it is worth the trip to England just to see that engine. I think it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I read somewhere that 80% of the development time and money that went into Wright Duplex Cyclones (as in the B29) was in the cooling system. The 801 also looks as tho' an immense amount of money was spent on the developing the cooling fins. They're gorgeous.

If Jabiru and CAMit could afford it, I'd love them to put as much development into their head fin designs.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

...there's a BMW 801 radial engine out of a FW190. IMHO it is worth the trip to England just to see that engine. I think it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Is this the same?

 

 

 

[naremman]

There's the old story about the captured intact and flyable FW-190 being put through it's paces, flown off against other British planes, Supermarine was asked to send along a Spitfire to test against, the Spitfire at the time was expected to come in last since the current model of the time was getting a bit old (months is ancient in that war) but they cheated and sent the latest prototype of the next Mark they had developed. Which instead of coming last, trounced the rest, including the FW-190, and resulted in continuing orders for the Spitfire in the new configuration.I THINK that may have been the Mk IX.

This event is well covered in Jeffrey Quill's autobiography. The designation was a (the) Mark IV, which was a Mark 1 airframe modified to accept the first RR Griffon installation.

 

It was mid 1942 when a Hawker Typhoon, a captured FW 190 and the said Spitfire were assembled for a short low level dash. No specification of Spitfire was made to Supermarine when requesting an aircraft, so Mr Quill saw no exclusion of the Griffon engined prototype. It was stated that the pilot of the FW 190 backed off the throttle when he thought the engine was displaying signs of not tolerating such stress.

 

The outcome so craftily created by Mr Quill certainly enhanced the development of Griffon engine Spitfires.

 

Adolf Galland's autobiography gives some great background of the development and service life of the FW 190.

 

 

[facthunter]

Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've seen better looking radial engines than that one. Again I've seen plenty cruder and less powerful.. Radial engines are rather unique. Different in so many ways. Quite a few war tanks used them. Nev

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

I read once that the British Minister nearly cried when he found that the FW 190 was at about equal to the Spitfire but at half the cost, for example it had straight tapered wings. And it had wider-spaced wheels, so it had a lot fewer ground write-offs.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

one might wonder if this is real or not....

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

wow one of those would make my Jabiru go... what are they?

 

 

[willedoo]

one might wonder if this is real or not....

It must be plastic or some other light material, going by the lightness of the trolley it's sitting on.

 

 

[Kiwi303]

"This was a surprise display engine, the infamous P&W R-8720! A spoof of what a “Double Wasp Major” would look like, eight rows, each with seven cylinders. What would the racer look like? The sign says “P&W 5600 XBSAP”, a reference to there being 56 cylinders. The “XBSAP”?"

 

http://www.enginehistory.org/Reno/Reno2013/Reno2013Pub.shtml

 

googlefu to the win :P

 

 

[turboplanner]

What torque!

 

 

[Robbo]

Going to be an FW190 at wings over illawara this month

 

 

[Robbo]

https://www.wingsoverillawarra.com.au/page/flying-program

 

 

 

[Oscar]

Fabulous picture. I remember, when walking around the NASM one at Silver Hill ready to be taken down to the main Museum, how massive the 'paddle' blades on the prop. were, for what is a compact aircraft. As with all NASM restorations, it was 'concours' condition - not really 'production' finish - and that one is every bit as good. I've had the good fortune to see many superb refurbs on warbirds as part of my job when at the AWM in the USA, (US Air Force and Navy Museums, San Diego and 'Planes of Fame' and at Duxford and the Mosquito museum in the UK, close up, and the 190 has a unique presence. If you might liken an Me109 to a Doberman, then the FW190 is a Rottweiler - a very, very fit Rottweiler...